Panels for flexible cards



c. F. woLTERs ETAL 2,815,758

PANELs Foa FLEXIBLEA cms Dec. 10, 1957 Filed 'Oct 20, 1955 mum w.. OR 6 mw m G O n vFmAh um a m PNJv vm., Y .r.V lurlr.

PANELS FOR FLEXIBLE CARDS Carl F. Wolters, New Canaan, and Robert W. Riggs,

Old Greenwich, Conn., assignors to Sperry Rand Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 20, 1955, Serial No. 541,564

3 Claims. (Cl. 129-16) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in the structure of panels for exible cards, and has particular reference to novel means for readily applying runways to and removing the runways from said panels.

In panels of the general type wherein a series of runways are mounted on a base board and receive a series of flexible cards in overlapping relation thereon it becomes important to provide means whereby the runways can be quickly and easily and accurately mounted on the panel .board and quite as easily removed when desired. A main object of the invention is to provide a structure by which these aims may be achieved.

Furthermore, it is also important that the structure of the runway mounting be such asto readily permit one runway to be associated with another while that other is on the board so that cards may be shifted from one runway to the other without the use of extra and separate transfer mechanism. A further object of the invention is to achieve this aim as well.

A still further object is to provide a structure which achieves the above results and which is simple in construction and operation and economical .to manufacture and requires no major alteration of the panel boards and runways now in use.

Generally speaking, the invention includes a panel board on which is disposed a lock slide member and a cardsupporting runway disposed on the board over the lock slide with means on the board and the runway to interengage and accurately position the runway on the board. The lock slide is movably mounted on the board and has a locking and an unlocking position with respect to the runway. Means are provided on the runway and the slide to cooperate to lock the runway to the board when the slide is in locking position and to permit the removal of the runway from the board when the slide is in unlocking position.

More particularly the construction resides in the interengagement of certain openings such as slots and notches on the runway with studs on the board to aline the runway in proper position. It also concerns the provision of a keyhole slot on the runway to be operatively engaged with and disengaged from a stud on the lock slide so that the runway may be attached to and removed from the board by sliding the lock slide in one or another direction.

Still more particularly the invention concerns the provision of means on the lower end of one runway which cooperates with means on the upper end of another runway to permit the runways to be easily and quickly alined so as to facilitate the transfer of cards from one runway to another without the use of separate transfer mechanism.

The present preferred form which the invention may assume is shown in the drawings, of which,

Fig. l is a broken plan view of a panel board with the card runway in position thereon but with the lock slide is unlocked position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a panel with a runway shown supporting cards and showing means for transferring `cards to another runway;

nited States Patent O i 2,815,758 Patented Dec. 10, 1957 ICC Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 6 is a cross section taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. l.

Referring now to the specific form of the invention illustrated herein it will be seen that there is a panel board 10 on which are to be disposed, in spaced parallel relation, a series of runways 11, of elongate shape and having oppositely disposed flanges 12 and a central longitudinal raised channel portion 13. As thus far disclosed these runways are of the usual form to receive overlapping cards 14 of the exible type to be interlocked with the anges 12 as is well known. On top of the channel portion 13 are disposed spaced key-hole slots 15. At the bottom edge of the runway 11 on opposite sides of the channel 13 are notches 16 adapted to bear against the shoulder portions of headed studs 17 mounted on the panel board 10. The top edge of the runway 11 is adapted to lie against abutments 18 when the runway is disposed as shown in Fig. 1. These abutments are mounted on the panel board 10.

In order to facilitate the attachment to and removal from the panel board 10 of the runway 11 a lock slide is employed. This lock slide is in the form of a slide plate 19 which is disposed to slide along the panel board 10 within the contines of the side edges of the channel 13 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Itis provided with regular spaced slots 20 which receive headed studs Z1 mounted on the panel board 10. The lock slide 19 has a headed stud 22 thereon which is adapted to be received in the upper key-hole slot 15 on the runway. The upper end of the lock slide 19 has an outwardly turned ange 23 to enable the finger of the operator to move the slide up and down. The upper edge of the runway 11 is also provided with spaced notches similar to the notches 16 at the bottom, above mentioned. In Fig. 1 the 4slide 19 is shown in its upward or unlocking position.

When a runway 11 is to be applied to the panel board, the lock slide 19 is moved upward to the position shown in Fig. 1. Then the runway is brought to the board so that first the lower edges thereof will cause the engagement of the notches 16 therein with the studs 17. Then the runway is swung at against the board 10 and the stud 22 on the lock slide 19 will enter the center of the upper key-hole lslot 15 as shown in Fig. l. At this time the upper edge of the runway 11 will lie in contact with the abutments 18. When the runway is thus disposed, the headed stud 22 lies in the center of the upper key-hole slot 15 and a fixed stud 24 on the panel board 10 lies in the upper end of the lower key-hole slot 15. This stud 24 therefore also enables the runway to be accurately positioned. The lock slide 19 is then moved down to seat the headed stud 22 in the upper narrow end of the upper keyhole slot and in this position the runway is securely held in close relation at against the panel board. To remove the runway, the slide is moved upward whereupon the runway can be lifted readily from the board.

Another feature of the invention has to do with the notches 16 at the upper and lower edges ofthe runways 11. When it is desired to transfer cards 14 from one runway to another, the two runways are disposed as shown in the lower part of Fig. 2 where the notches at the lower edge of the upper runway engage the studs 17 and the notches at the upper edge of the adjacent runway also engage said studs. While the two runways are held in this relation, manually or otherwise, the cards 14 may be easily and readily slid from one runway to the other, without the 3 many-'changesdnfform xto'ul'dlbe made without departing from the invention, and I, therefore, do not limit myself to the exact form herein shown and described, nor to anything less than the whole of my invention, as hereinbefore set -fo'rtht 'andias :hereinafter clairedalh i What we claim, is: l. In combination; a `panel board ia card' `'runway V.ldisposed on the board and extending between the topifand bottom-edges ofi the board, -saidrunwayhaving oppositely disposed flanges and a central longitudinally rais'edchannel portionwith `a keyfhole slot intermediate its length, means xed on theboard and-abuttingthe top and bottom edges-of the runway=when= therunwayis.inposition there-E on to prevent longitudinal movement of th'erunway there on, a slidable lock plate disposed on-thepanel'board within theconfinesA of the-side edgesfof-the channelportion ofv the runway,"said lock platehavingspaced straight slots therein, headed studsxed on -the boardiand projecting 4 board, `a headed stud on the lock plate and cooperating with the key hole slot on the channel portion to hold the runway to the board or permit its ready removal therefrom dependent upon the position of the lock plate.

2. The invention of claim 1 in which the runway at its lower edge is provided with spaced notches, and the fixed abutting means at the lowery edge of the runway comprises headed studs the stems of whichlie'in said notches.

3. The invention of claim 2 in which the xed abutting means at the top of the board are ixed studs bearing againstthe top edge 'ofthe runway.'-

1,952,298 Theime L Y' r Mar. 27, 1934 2,081,841 Shailor May 25, 1937 2,093,940 Straubel Sept. 21, 1937 2,635,607 Gunn Apr. 21, 1953 

